I think that the police and military overseas used pistol lanyards
for a long time .
It was for keeping the gun from being knocked out of your reach
if you dropped it in a fight.

Yeah, you're right. I travel fairly often to Germany, France and Italy and sure enough, some of those agencies still use these silly things’. However, this coiled telephone cord arrangement is the most unintelligent device I’ve seen yet. Who knows, maybe it comes with a ShamWow!
Regards,